By Diana Omueza
The Leprosy Mission Nigeria (TLMN) has expressed concern over persistent underrepresentation of children with disabilities in budgets, warning that the gap undermines inclusion, equity and accountability in governance.
The TLMN National Director, Dr Sunday Udo, made this known on Tuesday during a media engagement organised by The Qualitative Magazine with the theme “Inclusive Budgeting for Children with Disabilities.”
Udo said that the mission recently conducted a desk review of federal and subnational budgets from 2023 to 2025 to analyse budget allocations specifically for children with disabilities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the desk review was carried out by the TLMN, supported by the Liliane Fonds to enhance budget inclusivity for children with disabilities in the country.
According to him, most budgets only make broad references to disability, health, education and social welfare, without specific, trackable budget lines.
He added that “our findings from the health sector under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) has no children with disabilities budget indicators.
“Parents often pay out-of-pocket for healthcare because disability is recognised as a health challenge.
“Also, ministries with child protection mandates lack sufficient fiscal power and broad programmes fail to address the unique needs of children with disabilities.”
Udo urged government to ensure specific, costed and monitorable budget commitments, stressing that if children with disabilities are not clearly budgeted for, then exclusion becomes inevitable.
Mr Ayuba Gufwan, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), said that budgeting for persons with disabilities had been grossly inadequate.
According to him, one of the biggest challenges is the struggle to get appropriate budget.
“We want a budget that is commensurate with the disability population in its entirety, and then of course, a specific budget that will capture the interests of children,” he said.
He reiterated the commitment of the commission to support stakeholders with technical knowledge to engage the government.
Gufwan appealed to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to make their budgets as inclusive as possible to drive inclusivity in all sectors.
Mr Mohammed Issa, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunity, lauded the Leprosy Mission for conducting the desk review to identity areas of concerns limiting inclusion of children with disabilities in the society.
Issa, represented by Mr Lanre Oloyede, the Director of Media and Communications, Office of the SSA, said children with disabilities remained among the most marginalised and excluded groups in the society, which called for concerns.
He, however, said that government had continued to demonstrate commitment to advancing the rights and protection of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and that children were not left behind.
Mr Agbo Christian, the Executive Director of The Qualitative Magazine (TQM), urged the media to mainstream the plight and impact of exclusion to garner the appropriate attention of policy makers.
He said “the media plays a powerful role in shaping public understanding, influencing policy priorities and holding duty bearers accountable.
“Through accurate, ethical and inclusive reporting, the media can ensure budgeting processes at national and sub-national levels reflect the realities, needs and aspirations of children with disabilities.”
(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu
